Romans

1:24-32

Arguments in support of the proposition, 1:18-11:36

1. The impartial nature of God's righteous condemnation of universal sin, 1:18-3:20

ii] The human condition of universal human sin has been condemned by God to even greater sin

Paul, having stated his thesis in 1:16-17, proceeds to argue for the universality of human sin. In 1:24-32 Paul argues that the righteous judgment of God on human sin is both active and evident in the compounding of human sinfulness; "God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity."

The first paragraph, 1:24-27, establishes "the divine degradation of those who suppress the truth", Jewett. This fact is stated in v24 and evidentially supported using Semitic parallelism: they exchanged the truth for a lie and worshiped the creature rather than the creator (v25c is an intruded doxology), v25. The truth is again picked up in v26a, and again supported: their women exchanged natural intercourse for unnatural, and the men also exchanged natural intercourse for unnatural.

dio "therefore" - Expressing result, "as a result." "Therefore, God's response was that he ......."

paredwken (paradidwmi) aor. "gave them over" - handed over, gave over. Possibly "abandoned / washed his hands of them", or "they fell out of God's hands", cf. Dodd, or "they were delivered over to judgement (with the ultimate intent to heal???)", cf. Cranfield.

en "in [the sinful ...]" - in, on, by, with. Probably "in", so NIV, ie. their actual state of being bound by the lusts of their mind, but then possibly instrumental, "by", Barrett.

epiqumiaiV (a) "desires" - lusts. Note how depravity seems to go hand in hand with idolatry.

twn kardiwn (a) "of [their] hearts" - Genitive of origin / source, "the sinful desires that stem from their minds."

eiV "to" - "Given up into the bondage of sexual impurity ......"

akaqarsian (a) "sexual impurity" - uncleanness. Probably in the sense of sexual immorality, as NIV. "The prison into which they have been delivered", Cranfield.

tou atimazesqai (atimazw) pres. pas. inf. "for the degrading" - to dishonoring. The infinitive serves to form a purpose, result, or explanatory clause. Epexegetic (explanatory) is certainly possible, so Moo, but result (consecutive) clause, "with the result that", seems best; "the consequent degradation of their bodies", REB.

en autoiV "with one another" - in themselves. Of abusing the natural function of the body, probably "among themselves", possibly "among them."

oiJtineV "they" - who. Indefinite pronoun possibly introducing a relative clause related to v24 and expressing cause, "for they had utterly transformed the reality of God into something unreal", Williams. Note the section division of Moo above, supported by others, eg. Cranfield. If v25-26/27 is a restatement of v22-24, then best formed as a new paragraph beginning "they actually ...", Cranfield.

en "for" - with, by, in .. The statement "exchanged the truth of God for (with) a lie" virtually repeats v23. "They substituted their untruth with God's truth", Barclay.

th/ ktisei (iV ewV) dat. "created things" - the universe, creation, what was made. Dative of indirect object, although the noun here is actually a direct object of "they worshipped and served."

para + acc. "rather than" - Normally forming a comparative, as NIV, Barrett, TNT, NAB...., and not "instead of the Creator", REB; "in preference to the Creator", Cassirer.

The concluding benediction is common in Rabbinic literature, cf. Rom.9:5, 2Cor.11:31.

dia + acc. "because of [this]" - because of, on account of, for [this] reason. Expressing a logical conclusion; "God therefore, allowed them to go their own way", Barclay.

paredwken (paradidwmi) aor. "[God] gave [them] over" - gave over, delivered over, turn over to.

atimiaV (a) "[to] shameful [lusts]" - shameful, disrespectful, dishonorable. The genitive is adjectival, limiting "lusts", "shameful" type of "lusts/passions (positive use = "suffering")".

gar "-" - for [even]. Expressing cause/reason; "for their females have exchanged ....", Williams.

qhleiai (uV) "women" - females. An unusual use of the adjective, but possibly referencing the creation account in Genesis. Why does Paul mention women first? Morris suggests that the argument is compounding, given the stress he puts on the men, ie. the emphasis is upon the men, not the women.

methllaxan (metallassw) aor. "exchanged" - changed.

thn fusikhn crhsin "natural relations" - the natural function. Here probably taking a particular sense, "sexual relations", Zerwick, cf. BAGD.

para + acc. "unnatural ones" - [into] beside. Probably here with the particular use "rather than / instead of", so "contrary to [nature]". This is usually understood to refer to homosexuality, but Hendriksen puts a good case when he argues for a wider understanding, namely, any sexual relation, either homosexual or heterosexual, outside of that between a husband and his wife. None-the-less, most commentators argue that Paul is referring particularly to lesbian behavior, to homoeroticism and not sex outside of marriage, nor something like oral or anal sex with a male, so Jewett, Dumbrell, Schreiner (95-97, a good survey of those commentators who try to minimize Paul's negative remarks on homosexuality), Hunter, Moo, Fitzmyer (argues that Paul is coming from an OT/Jewish perspective which views homosexuality as against the divine order), Dunn, Murray, Cranfield ("unnatural sexual relations between women"), Kasemann, Barrett, Leenhardt ("unnatural sexual relations"), ....

oJmoiwV adv. "In the same way" - likewise, in like manner.

te "-" - and. Establishing a parallel relationship with v26.

afenteV (afihmi) aor. part. "abandoned" - having left, abandoned. Since v26 and 27 are a single sentence in the Gk. the three participles in this verse are best viewed as attendant circumstance participles, expressing action accompanying the main verb "exchanged/changed", v26, and so translated as finite verbs as NIV. Used of "abandoning" a "divinely intended, originally heterosexual relationship between males and females", Jewett. "Men, also, deserted their natural sexual functions with women", Junkins.

exekauqhsan (ellaiw) aor. "were inflamed" - burned, consumed, inflamed.

en th/ orexei "with lust" - in (causal??) the craving, lust, strong and eager desire [of them].

arseneV en arsesin "men .... with other men" - men with men.

katergazomenoi (katergazomai) pres. part. "committed" - performing, working, accomplishing. "Perpetrate", Zerwick.

thn aschmosunhn (h) "indecent" - shameless, indecent, disgraceful act. The indecent act is not defined, but is fairly obvious. Roman "society from top to bottom was riddled with unnatural vice", Barrett.

apolambanonteV (apolambanw) pres. part. "received" - receiving back as one's due.

thn antimisqian hJn edei "the due penalty" - the reward/penalty which was necessary. The penalty is the perversion itself, ie. "God gave them up to degrading passions". "Males, in multiplying their shameful behavior with each other, experienced the natural, spiritual, psychological, and physical consequences of their rejection of God", Junkins.

thV planhV (h) "for [their] perversion" - of the error, going astray [of theirs].

In v28-32 Paul produces a list of vices infecting people who have abandoned God, and who, as a consequence, are abandoned by God to a "downward spiral in human morality", Dumbrell.

ouk edokimasan (dokimazw) aor. "they did not think it worthwhile" - they did not test / approve, think fit.

ecein (ecw) pres. inf. "to retain" - to have. The infinitive is complementary, completing the sense of "did not approve". "They deliberately refused to recognize (acknowledge) God", Barclay.

epignwsei (iV ewV) "the knowledge [of God]" - [in] knowledge. Since the creature depends on the divine to function normally, the denial of God and of his revelation brings with it unnatural consequences. "In keeping with their rejection of God and his leading ...", Junkins.

paredwken (paradidwmi) aor. "he gave [them] over" - [God] gave [them] over, turned over to.

adokimon adj. "a depraved [mind]" - corrupted mind, useless, rejected, discredited, unfit.

poiein (poiew) pres. inf. "to do" - The infinitive is probably expressing purpose, "in order to do", although result is possible, "so that".

ta mh kaqhkanta "what ought not to be done" - the thing not being proper, fitting, moral.

peplhrwmenouV (plhrow) perf. pas. part. "they have become filled" - having been filled. The participle is adverbial, consecutive/result, "God has given them up ........ with the result that they are filled ..."

The list of vices in v29-31 consists of three groups: i] Four dative nouns qualified by pash/ "[filled] with every kind of", and in apposition to autouV, "[God gave] them [over]", v28. "God gave them over to unrighteousness, wickedness, consuming ambition, vice"; ii] Five genitive nouns depending on mestouV, "full of", and also in apposition to autouV. "Their lives are permeated with envy (jealousy), murder, quarrelling (party spirit, strife), underhand plotting (deceit), malignity (malice = "always thinking the worst of others", TH)", Barclay; iii] Twelve vices, all in apposition to autouV. "They become whispering (gossips), scandal-mongers, slanderers, God-for-saken and God-defying (God-haters), arrogant (insolent), braggarts (boastful), ingenious in the discovery of novelties in vice (immoral), disobedient to parents", Barclay.

oiJtineV pro. "they" - whoever, those who. Referring to the class of people who have ignored God and consequently slipped into a downward spiral of vice.

epignonteV (epiginwskw) aor. part. "although they know" - The participle is adverbial, concessive, as NIV. Paul contends that "God has revealed enough of himself for people to know what is right and what is wrong", Morris. Yet, although humanity is aware of the righteous judgment of God, his mind on the matter of sin, humanity in rebellion to God not only continues in vice, but promotes it.

to dikaiwma (a atoV) "[God's] righteous decree" - just requirement, ordinance / judgment. "God's verdict", JB, on sin. "God's law", TEV, is close, but not what Paul has said. "They know God has said that anyone who acts this way deserves to die", CEV.

oJti "that" - Introducing a dependent statement of perception.

oi ... prassonteV (prassw) pres. part. "those who do" - the ones doing. Participle as a substantive.

ta toiauta "such things" - the things.

axioi qanatou eisin "deserve death" - worthy of death are they. Spiritual, or physical death, or both? Paul does not say, but humanity is terrorized by death and there is a sense where we all know that it relates to the way we are - a corruption caused by corruption.

suneudokousin (suneudokew) pres. "approve of" - heartily approve of. "Applaud such practices", NEB, such that the vice is actively encouraged in the life of others.

toiV prassousin (prassw) pres. part. "those who practice them" - the ones doing. Participle as a substantive. There seems to be a strengthening in the word from "those who do such things" to "those who practice such things". The artisan of vice is more to be applauded that the mere occasional participant.

Romans Introduction.

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